Heel attaching machines



June 25, 1963 H. N. MacRAE ETAL 3,094,701

HEEL ATTACHING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 22, 1961 8 6 e 0 m w 6 a am W 6 e p an "MB 6 0 w J 1 6 3 E 5%) 2a June 25, 1963 H. N. M RAE ETAL HEEL ATTACHING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 22, 1961 June 1963 H. N. M RAE ETAL HEEL ATTACHING MACHINES Filed June 22. 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 June 25, 1963 H. N. Mac ETAL 3,094,701

HEEL ATTACHING MACHINES 4Sheets-Sheet .4

7 Filed June 22, 1961 k-e'a I 0 United States Patent 3,094,791 HEEL A'ITAQHING MACHINES Herbert N. MacRae and Marcel A. Chaloux, both of Beverly, Mass, assignors to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Boston, Mass, a corporation of New Jersey Filed June 22, 1961, Ser. No. 118,974 13 Claims. (Cl. 1-97) This invention rel-ates to heel attaching machines and more specifically to mechanism for successively presenting heels and their associated top lifts to nailing dies of outside nailing machines preparatory to attaching said heels to shoes and thereafter the top lifts to said heels.

Outside nailing machines commonly used in the attachment of leather heels and their top lifts to mens shoes, for example, are each provided with a nailing die, and a carrier slide movable in a predetermined path and having holder units for presenting respectively to the nailing die a built-up leather heel, which is to be attached to a shoe mounted on a jack, and a top lift which is thereafter attached to the heel of the shoe. After the heel has been attached to the shoe and the top lift has been attached to the heel the composite heel of the shoe is trimmed around its side and rear margins by a rotary cuttor, for example, the path of which is controlled by gaging along the rand crease of the shoe. During the trimming operation material is commonly removed from the breast of the heel and/or the top lift so that the breast of the composite heel shall be one continuous smooth surface. It is desirable to reduce the breast trimming operation to a minimum in view of the fact that in performing this operation there is a tendency to damage the outsole of the shoe. The exact position of the composite heel lengthwise of the shoe is not critical and it is not necessary to trim the breast of the composite heel if the breasts of the heel and the top lift are in exact alinement.

In the use of commercial heel attaching machines it is common practice to position the heel and the top lift separately in holder units of the carrier slide, each of the units having a back gage fixed to but initially adjustable on the carrier slide which is moved into two different operating positions to cause the heel and the top lift to be presented in predetermined positions over and adjacent to the nailing die. To adjust the back gages of top lift and heel receiving holder units of the carrier slide properly to accommodate the work on hand requnes considerable time and accordingly such adjustments are often avoided by the operators with the result that the heel and/ or the top lift are not properly positioned on the shoe.

It is an object of the present invention to provide in an outside nailer an improved carrier slide having holder units in which the heel and the top lift may be quickly and effectively positioned and which may be readily adjusted initially for accommodating work of a size difierent from that which has just been operated u on.

With the above object and considerations in view the illustrative heel attaching machine comprises a nailing die having a fixed median reference plane, a movable carrier slide having a pair of holder units adapted to position and to hold respectively a heel and a top lift to be attached to the heel, means for moving the carrier slide into different operating positions in which the heel and the top lift are aranged successively over and ad acent to the nailing die with heightwise median planes thereof coincident with said fixed median reference plane of the die, the holder unit for the top lift comprising a back gage, means for initially securing the back gage 1n a predetermined position to the carrier slide, springs, said top lift and heel holder units comprising independent cen- 'ice tralizing gages adapted to be moved respectively in one direction against the action of said springs by pressure of the rear lateral portions of the heel and the top lifit against them, an abutment which, in accordance with a feature of the present invention, is common to both of said holder units and has faces adapted to be engaged respectively by the breasts of the heel and the top lift, and a spring which is stronger than the combined aforesaid springs associated with the centralizing gages and is adapted to move the abutment in a direction opposite to said one direction and through the heel and the top lift to move the centralizing gages in a general direction opposite to said one direction until the top lift engages the back gage, whereby to position and hold both the top lift and the heel in predetermined positions on the carrier slide. 'Iop lifts and heels are manually presented simultaneously to the holder units by forcing the breasts thereof against the faces respectively of the breast abutment, thus causing the abutment to be moved forward on the carrier slide relatively to the centralizing gages against the action of the strong spring preparatory to dropping the heel and the top lift into their respective holder units with their rear ends in opopsed relation to the centralizing gages. After the heel and the top lift have been released the faces of the abutment acting against the breasts of the heel and the top lift force the work and accordingly the centralizing gages rearwardly, the heel and the top lift being positioned widthwise in the holder units during rearward movement which is limited when the top lift engages the back gage, thereby positioning both the top lift and the heel lengthwise in the holder units of the carrier slide. By providing a carrier slide having only one back gage which has to be initially adjusted to accommodate work of different sizes and by providing abutment faces which are in alinement, the carrier slide may be quickly and effectively adjusted to position heels and top lifts of diiferents sizes in said slide so that the breasts of the heel and top lift attached to the shoe shall be in registering relation.

In the illustrative machine the heel attaching nails are driven flush with the top lift receiving face of the heel instead of being left projecting beyond the top lift receiving face of the heel as is the usual practice. In the use of the present machine the top lift is adhesively secured temporarily to the heel by the use of cement and is thereafter attached permanently to the heel during the con ventional slugging operation. Accordingly the machine is provided with a cement pot and when the carrier slide with the top lift and heel positioned on it has been moved to a position to allow nails to be delivered by a loader block to passages of the nailing die, the top lift in said carrier is positioned beneath the cement pot, there being provided in accordance with another feature of this invention means responsive to movement of the carrier slide to this position for causing a measured amount of cement to be delivered to the upper face of the top lift from said pot.

The carrier slide is constantly biased by a strong spring to a position in which the top lift in the top lift positioning and holding unit of the carrier is arranged above the nailing die and may be moved, from this position against the action of said spring by manually swinging of the loader block arm bodily against the slide whereby to clear the nailing die preparatory to releasing nails from the loader block for movement into the passages of the nailing die. In order however to relieve the operator of the exertion of moving the carrier slide against the action of its associated spring the illustrative machine, in accordance with a further feature of the invention, is provided with power means, for example air powered mechanism, which is operative in response to movement of the loader block arm toward the nailing die to move the carrier slide away from the nailing die whereby to clear said die and to FIG. '1 is a perspective view of a portion of the illus- V trative machine, a carrier slide for a top lift and a heel being shown in a position in which the heel is arranged above a nailing die of the machine;

FIG. 2 is a view on the line IIII of FIG. 1 showing.

the top lift in the process of being attached to the heel of a shoe;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing details of a back gage which forms part of a top lift holder unit of the carrier slide;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the carrier slide and portions of mechanism for operating said slide;

FIG. 5 is a view on the line V-V of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a View, partly in section, showing details of cement dispensing mechanism of the machine;

FIG, 7 is an exploded view, partly broken away and partly in section, showing in perspective a rear end portion of a shoe to which a heel has been attached by the use of the illustrative machine and also showing in perspective a top lift which has a mass of cement secured to it and is to be spanked onto the heel;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of an air valve forming part of mechanism serving to retain the carrier slide in and to release it from its heel attaching position shown in FIGS. 1 and 4;

FIG. 9 is a view partly on the line IX-IX of FIG. 4 showing mechanism operatively connected to the air valve shown in FIG. 8; and

FIG. 10 is a detail view of an air valve used to actuate the cement dispensing mechanism shown in FIG. 6.

The present invention is disclosed with reference to the attachment of leather heels and associated lifts 22 to shoes 24 by the use of a heel attaching machine which is of the general type disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,157,688, granted October 26, 1915, on an application filed in the name of Lester L. Glidden, and is modified as hereinafter explained.

The illustrative machine comprises a main frame 26 (FIGS. 1 and 9) to which are secured a pair of rods 28 upon shoulders of which rests a bracket 30 secured to said rods by nuts 3-2 (FIGS. 1 and 4). The bracket 30 has formed in it a cavity 34 for receiving a nailing die 36 which is held in an operative position in the bracket by a retaining plate 38 (FIG. 1). Positioned beneath the bracket 30 and having sleeves 40a which are slidingly mounted for vertical movement upon the rods 28 is a cross head 40 comprising an adjustable slide 42 provided with guideways 44 for receiving a driver head 46 having secured to it drivers 48 which are slidable in nail receiving passages 50 (FIGS. 2. and 4) of the nailing die 36.

Formed on the main frame 26 adjacent to the lower ends of the rods 28 are shoulders 52 (FIGS. '1 and 8) adapted to be engaged by the lower flanged ends of the sleeves 40a of the cross head 40 to limit downward movement of said cross head. The cross head 40 is moved vertivally along the rods 28 by the use of a mechanically operated toggle such as disclosed in Patent No. 1,157,688 or may be moved by fluid pressure means such as disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,746,046, granted May 22, 1956, on an application filed in the names of Lee et al. In the machine disclosed in Patent No. 2,746,046 the nailing die is fixed, as in the present machine, as distinguished from a nailing die which as disclosed in Patent No. 1,157,688 may, in accordance with the setting of the machine, have a very slight amount of upward movement imparted to it by the use of a toggle during the heel attaching operation. Since the above described mechanism is well known in the art and forms no part of the present invention no further disclosure of such mechanism is believed to be necessary.

Nailing dies 36 and driver heads 46 having different n'ail patterns may be interchangeably positioned in the machine, upper flat faces of the nailing dies positioned in the machine being substantially flush with the flat upper face of the supporting bracket 30 which, as above explained, in the present machine is fixed and may be considered part of the main frame 26.

Nails 54 delivered from a foot plate 56 (FIG. 1) to passages 58 of a loader block 60 are commonly delivered to the passages 50 of the nailing die 36 by swinging the loader block to a position over the nailing die 36, a nail retaining shutter 62 being released, as is well known, when a screw 66 mounted on a loader block arm 64 engages a column of the main frame 26, the loader block at this time being positioned over the nailing die, whereby to allow the nails in the passages of the block to drop into the passages of the nailing die with their heads resting on the upper ends of the drivers 48. The above described loader block construction and operation is well known in the art. The position of the loader block 60 below the foot plate 56 is controlled by a stop screw 67 which is engaged by the loader block arm 64.

Heel attaching machines of the general type herein disclosed are provided with carrier slides corresponding to a carrier slide 68 which is slidable transversely of the machine in a rectilinear path over the bracket 30 and the nailing die 36 and which successively positions over said die the heel 20, which is to be attached to the shoe 24, and the top lift 22 which is to be attached to the heel.

The carrier slide 68 comprises a fiat plate 70' overlying and spaced slightly from the flat upper face of the bracket 30, said plate being secured by screws 72 to a boss portion 74 which has a flat upper face 76 and bores 78 and which is slidingly mounted upon an initially adjusted but otherwise fixed guide rod 80. It will be noted that the bracket 30 has at its rear end a rabbeted portion 82 to which is secured by screws 84 a bearing block 86 provided with a large bore 88 into which is threaded an abutment screw 90, said block also having in axial alinernent with the bore 88 a slightly smaller bore 92 for receiving the right end (FIGS. 4 and 5) of the guide rod 80. The left end of the guide rod 80 is received in a bore 94 formed in a boss of a supporting arm 96 secured by screws 98 (FIG. 4) to the bracket 30, said boss having secured to it a bumper ring 100 made of resilient material. The guide rod 80 has formed integral with it a stop collar 102 and may be secured to the bearing block 86 in different lengthwise adjusted positions by a set screw 104 in order to vary the position of said stop collar as will appear later. The abutment screw 90 is used to insure against movement of the rod 80 to the right (FIGS. 4 and 5) from its initially set position and accordingly after the rod has been initially adjusted, said abutment screw is moved into engagement with the right end of the rod and is then secured against displacement to the bearing block 86 by a set screw 106.

Secured to the front portion of the plate 70 of the carrier slide 68 is a depending block 108 in the rear face of which is formed a rectilinear guideway 110 (FIGS. 2 and 4) for receiving a cam roll 112 rotatably mounted on a head of bearing stud 114 secured to the bracket 30. It will be noted that the head of the bearing stud 114 is eccentrically mounted on the shank of the stud so that the heightwise position of the plate 70 over the bracket 30 may be slightly varied, the plate being so adjusted that it just clears the upper face of the bracket. The stud 114 may be secured in its adjustable position by a set screw 115. It will be apparent that the carrier slide 68 is supported by the guide rod 80 and the roll 112 for rectilinear reciprocation at right angles to a fixed vertical reference plane 116 of the machine, this plane also being coincident with the vertical median plane of the nailing die 36.

The carriefslide '68 comprises a top lift holder or holder unit 68a (FIGS. 1 and 4) and a heel holder or holder unit 68b which, as will be hereinafter explained, are presented successively at a heel attaching station 1 18 which lies in the fixed vertical reference plane 116.

The shoe 24 to which the heel 20 and the top lift 22 are to be attached is supported by a jack 120 having a .pin or spindle 122 adapted to be received in a thimble hole 124 of a last 126 bearing said shoe. The jack 120 is in a forwardly tilted or loading and unloading position when the last 126 is mounted on it and is then swung rearwardly until the rear end of a rand crease 128 of the shoe upon the jack engages a shoe back gage 130 of the machine, the shoe in the meantime being manually swung laterally by the operator until a vertical median plane of the heel seat of the shoe is coincident the fixed Vertical reference plane 116 of the machine.

The nailing die 36 is arranged in a fixed position in the machine and it is desirable that the axis of the rear nail passage 50 of said die shall be arranged a predetermined distance D ahead of the rear end of a feather line 132 of the shoe 24 positioned in the machine, the axes of the remaining passages of the die falling predetermined distances within corresponding portions of the feather line. The construction and arrangement of the carrier slide '68 is such that when its loaded heel holder 68b and top lift unit 68a are arranged in succession, as above explained, over the nailing die 36 with vertical median planes 134, 136 (FIG. 4) respectively thereof coincident with the fixed reference plane 116 of the machine, heightwise projections of the heel and the top lift will lie predetermined distances outside of the feather line 132 of the shoe and accordingly the rear and lateral margins will project predetermined distances beyond the feather line of the shoe. The rear and lateral margins of the heel 20 and the top lift 22, after their attachment to the shoe 24, are trimmed or shaved along the line 138 for example by a tool (not shown) which gages along the rand crease 128 of the shoe, said rand crease extending substantially along the feather line 132 of the shoe. In order to insure against damage to the outsole of the shoe 24 it is desirable that a minimum amount of material shall be trimmed from the breasts of the heels 20 and the top lift 22 after their attachment to the shoe. Accordingly it is desirable that the transverse curvature of the breasts of the heel and the top lift shall be the same and that their breasts after attachment to the shoe shall be in vertical alinement. The exact forward and rearward positions of the heel breast of the combined heel is not critical.

As above explained, during the first part of the split heel attaching cycle of the machine the heel 20 is first attached to the shoe 24 by the nails 54, which are driven by the drivers 48 into the heel, until the heads of said nails are flush with the top lift receiving face of the heel, said nails during this operation being clinched against a heel plate 142 (FIG. 7) of the last 126, the top lift, to the upper face of which a gob 144 of cement has been delivered, being pressed against the heel during the second part of the split heel attaching cycle, said cement being distributed over the upper face of the top lift during this time and serving to "secure the top lift temporarily to the shoe. The top lift 22 is subsequently attached to the heel permanently by the usual slugging operation.

The top lift holder 68:: of the carrier slide 68 comprises a pair of forwardly and rearwardly extending guide bars 146 (FIG. 4) which are secured by screws 148 to the slide and have guideways 150 for slidingly receiving a centralizing slide or gage 152 having diverging forward faces adapted to be engaged by the rear lateral margins of the top lift 22, said gage being constantly urged forwor'dly by a pair of springs 154 the rear ends of which are housed in bores of a block 156 secured to the plate 70 of the slide 68 and the forward ends of which are housed in bores of an upstanding block 157 screwed to the centralizing slide. Forward movement of the spring pressed centralizing gage 152 is limited by engagement of this gage with a back gage 158 which is arranged in a U- shaped opening of the centralizing gage. A separate stop (not shown) may be provided, if desirable for limiting forward movement of the centralizing gage 152.

As best'shown in FIG. 3, the back gage 158 comprises a plate 160 having secured to it a pair of depending pins 162 adapted selectively to fit in laterally arranged pairs of bores 164, 166 or in a longitudinally arranged pairs of bores 168 formed in the plate 70 of the carrier slide 68. The plate 160 of the back gage 158 is provided with a slot 170 through which extends a screw 172 threaded into the plate 70 of the carrier slide 68, a spring 171 being interposed between the plate 160 and the head of the screw and serving to force the plate 160 against the plate 70 of the carrier slide. Since the depending pins 162 are arranged diiferent distance from end and side faces 173, 174 of the plate 160, it will be apparent that these faces may be set in six different gaging positions forwardly and rearwardly of the machine. The plate 160 of the gage 158 may be manually lifted by the use of upstanding lugs 176 secured to the plate 160 preparatory to moving, against the action of the spring 171, the gage plate to its desired setting on the plate 78 of the carrier slide 68.

Mounted for sliding movement in a rectilinear guideway 178 (FIG. 4) formed by bars 180 screwed to the plate 70 of the carrier slide 68 is a stem of a T-shaped breast abutment 182 having heel and top lift engaging faces 182a, 18%, said abutment being constantly urged rearward by a strong spring 184, forward and rear ends of which are attached to the abutment and to the boss portion 74 of the carrier slide. Rearward movement of the T-shaped abutment 182, when there is no work in the carrier slide 68, is limited by the engagement of the rear end of the stem of the abutment with the boss portion 74 of the carrier slide.

The heel holder unit 68b of the carrier slide 68 has formed in it a U-shaped opening 186 and arranged over the rear portion of said opening is a heel centralizing gage 188 which has diverging forward heel engaging faces and is slidable along guideways 190 formed in guide bars 192 screwed to the plate 70 of the carrier slide 68, said centralizing gage being constantly urged forward by a pair of springs 194 front and rear ends of which are housed in bores formed in a block portion 196 of the centralizing slide and in bores formed in an upstanding block 198 secured to the plate 70 of the carrier slide 68. When the machine is idle the centralizing gage 188 is in its dashline position shown in FIG. 4 forward movement of this gage acted on by the springs 194 being limited by the engagement of a head of a bolt 200, which is secured by a nut 202 to the block portion 196 of the centralizing slide 188, with the spring receiving block 198 secured to the plate 7 0 of the carrier slide 68.

After initially moving the back gage 158 to its desired setting to accommodate the work on hand (the carrier slide 68 being in its dash-dot-line position shown in FIG. 4 and the machine having completed its machine cycle) the breasts of the top lift and the heel are forced simultaneously against the faces 182b, 182a of the T-shaped breast abutment causing this abutment to move forwardly against the action of the spring 184 until the top lift and the heel can be dropped respectively onto the plate 70 of the carrier slide 68 and ontothe flat upper face of the bracket 30. When the top lift 22 and the heel 20 are released by the operator the T-shaped breast abutment acted upon by the strong spring 184 forces the rear lateral margins of the top lift and the heel against the centralizing gages 152, 188 until the rear end of the top lift engages the forward end or side face 173, 174 of the plate 160 of the back gage 158.

carrier slide 68 is movable lengthwise of said faces and 7 at right angles to the fixed reference plane 116 of the machine, the vertical median planes 134, 136 of the top lift and the heel holders 68a, 6812 being parallel to said fixed reference plane. It will be clear that when the heel 20 and top lift 22 have been attached to the shoe 24 their breast faces will lie substantially in vertical alinement. It will be appreciated from the foregoing that in operating upon heels 20 of different sizes it will be necessary initially to set the back gage 158 only and that this one adjustment will insure that both the top lift and the heel are properly positioned in their respective holder units 68a, 68b, the construction and arrangement being such that, after the attachment of the heel and the top lift to the shoe, the breasts of the heel and the top lift will be in register and accordingly little if any trimming of said breast will be necessary, the position of the breast of the combined heel lengthwise of the shoe not being critical.

As above explained, in the use of the illustrative machine the nails 54 which attach the heel 20 to the shoe 24 are driven flush with the top lift receiving face of the 'heel and the top lift is temporarily attached to the heel solely by cement until it is finally attached to the heel by the usual slugging operation. In accordance with prior practice the carrier slide 68 is moved transversely in its rectilinear path over the bracket 30 and the nailing die 36 between the three stop positions. At the termination of the heel and top lift attaching cycle of the machine the carrier slide 68 is in its dash-dot-line position (FIG. 4), the top lift holder 68a being arranged over the nailing die 36 at the heel attaching station 118, and the vertical median plane 134 of the top lift holder lying in the fixed reference plane 116 of the machine. After the heel attaching cycle of the machine has been completed and the operator has removed the shoe from the machine the heel 2i and the top lift 22, which are to form part of the next shoe to be operated upon, are placed respectively in the heel holder 68b and the top lift holder 68a and the carrier slide 68 is then moved to its dash-line position shown in FIG. 4 in order to allow nails 54 to be delivered to the passages 50 of the nailing die 36 and to cause a gob of cement 144 to be dropped onto the upper face of the top lift 22 mounted in the top lift holder 68a. At the time that the operator is about to initiate the first part of the split operating cycle of the machine in which the heel 20 is attached to the shoe 24 the carrier slide 68 is in its full-line position shown in FIG. 4, the heel holder 68b being arranged over the nailing die 36 with its vertical median plane 136 coincident with the fixed reference plane 116 of the machine.

The carrier slide 68 is continuously urged to the right, as viewed in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, by a flexible band 204 (FIGS. 4 and which is secured to the boss portion 74 of the slide, passes over a pulley 286 mounted on the bracket 38 and is connected to the upper end of a spring 208 the lower end of which is attached to the main frame 26.

The positioning of the heel holder 68b of the carrier slide 68 over the nailing die 36 with the heightwise median plane 136 of said holder lying in the fixed reference plane 116 of the machine is controlled by a stop screw 210 which is threaded into an arm 212 journaled on a pivot pin 214 ('FIG. 9) secured to the main frame 26, this arm normally resting on the bottom of a notch 216 formed in a lug 218 fixed to the main frame. The operating position of the top lift holder 68a of the carrier slide 68 (shown in dash-dot-lines FIG. 4 and the heightwise median plane 134 of the holder lying in the fixed reference plane 116) is controlled by the collar 102 of the guide rod 80, said collar at this time being engaged by a face 220 of the boss portion 74 of the carrier slide 68.

As above explained, when the carrier slide 68 is in its dash-line position in which a face 222 of the boss portion 74 of the slide engages the bumper ring 100 secured to the supporting arm 96 of the bracket 30, the top lift 22 in the top lift holder 68a is positioned beneath an orifice 224 of a cement pot 226 (FIG. 6) End, as will be hereinafter explained, during a slight dwell of the carrier slide in this position a measured amount of cement is extruded through said orifice onto the upper face of the top lift 22.

When the top lift 22 has been attached to the heel 20 of the shoe 24, the top lift holder 68a of the carrier slide 68 is in a position over the nailing die 36 as above explained and, after the jack has been raised and the shoe to which the heel and the top lift have been attached has been removed from the jack and placed on a rack, the operator moves the loader block 60 manually from its nail receiving position beneath the foot plate 56 to its nail delivering position over the nailing die 36. During this movement the loader block arm 64, which is journaled on an upstanding post 228 secured to the main frame 26, may engage a roll 230 mounted on the carrier slide 68 to move this slide into a position in which the face 222 of the boss portion 74 of the slide engages the bumper ring 100. As the loader block 61 arrives at a position over the nailing die 36 the shutter 62 is withdrawn from the loader block with the result that nails 54 in the passages 58 of said block drop into the passages 50 of the nailing die 36. Various mechanisms adapted for this purpose are well known in the art, for example, see United States Letters Patent No. 2,274,777, granted March 3, 1942, on an application filed in the name of William S. Dallas.

In order to relieve the operator from having to move the carrier slide 68 as above described from its dash-dot- -line position to its dash-line position shown in FIG. 4 the illustrative machine is provided with power assist mechanism which will now be described. Secured to the bracket 30 is a cylinder 232 (FIGS. 1, 4, 5 and 9) having movable in it a piston 234 secured to a piston rod 236 fixed to a lug of the boss portion 74 of the carrier slide 68.

Secured to the main frame 26 is an air valve 238 (FIG 1) which is operatively connected to a high pressure air line 240 and by a line 2 42 to a chamber 244 formed by the cylinder 232 and a face 246 of the piston 234. The valve 238 has slidingly mounted in it a plunger 248 which, when raised from a spring pressed lowered position admits high pressure air from the line 240 to the chamber 244 whereby to cause the piston 234 to move to the left (FIGS. 4 and 5) and accordingly the carrier slide 68 to move from its dash-dot-line position to its dash-line position.

Mounted on the loader block arm 64 is a segment cam 250 which when the loader block 60 is displaced slightly to the left (FIG. 1) from its nail receiving position beneath the foot plate 56 engages the plunger 248 of the valve 238 with the result that said valve is opened to allow the above described power assist mechanism to move the carrier slide 68 against the action of the spring 208 to its dash-line position in which the top lift 22 in the top lift holder 68a of the slide is positioned below the orifice 224 of the cement pot 226. At this time the upper face of the nailing die 36 is clear to allow nails in the passages 58 of the loader block 60' to be dropped into the passage 50 of the nailing die. Just before the manually operated loader block arm 64 engages the stop screw 67 and the loader block 60 arrives at its nail receiving position below the foot plate 56, the plunger 248 of the valve 238 is lowered as the segment earn 250 is moved away from it, the valve closing and the carrier slide 68 being moved to its full-line position (FIG. 4) by the spring 288, movement of the carrier slide to the right being limited by the engagement of a striker face 252 of the boss portion 74 of the carrier slide 68 with the stop screw 210. It will thus be noted that the valve 238 is held open during substantially the time that the loader block 60 is displaced from its idle or nail receiving position.

After the heel 20 has been attached to the shoe 24 it is necessary to move the carrier slide 68 to a position in which the top lift holder 68a is arranged over thenailing die 36 (see dash-dot-line position of the carrier slide,

FIG. 4), preparatory to attaching the top lift, by the use of cement which is on its upper face, to the heel. The arm 212 (FIGS. 4, 5 and 9) which carries the stop screw 210 is raised to release the carrier slide 68 by a rod 254 (FIG. 9) secured to a piston 255 slidable in a cylinder 256 secured to the main-frame 26, said piston being normally maintained in its lowered position in the cylinder by a spring 258. Open to a face 260 of the piston 255 is a line 262 connected to a valve 264 (FIG. 8) which has a spool 266 and also has connected to it a high pressure line 268. The spool 266 of the valve 264 is normally held by a spring 270 in a position to close the valve. Pivotally mounted on the valve 264 and normally urged by a torsion spring 272 into a position bearing against the spool 266 is an arm 274 carrying a roll 276.

As the cross head 40 is raised to cause nails 54 to be driven into the heel 29 and the heel seat of the shoe 24-, the flange at the lower end of the left sleeve 40a (as viewed from the front of the machine) moves the roll 276 to its dash-line position shown in FIG. 8 and then releases the roll which moves back to its full-line position under the action of the torsion spring 272. As the cross head 40 is lowered to its retracted position the flange of the sleeve 40a again engages the roll 276 and accordingly swings the arm 274 clockwise (FIG. 8) with the result that the spool 266 of the valve 264 is moved against the action of the spring 270 causing the valve to open and high pressure air in the line 268 to be available through the line 262 for the face260 of the piston 255 whereby to cause the rod 254 to be raised thus lifting .the arm 212 and moving its associated stop screw 210 away from the striker face 252 of the carrier slide 68. When this occurs the carrier slide 68 biased by the spring 208 is free to move to its dash-dot-line position (FIG. 4) in which the vertical median plane 134 of the top lift holder 68a is coincident with the fixed reference plane 116 of the machine.

Since the flange of the sleeve 40a of the cross head 40 has moved to a position below the I011 276, the valve 264 is closed and the piston 255 of the cylinder 256 is moved to its lowered retracted position by the spring 258, the arm 212 falling by gravity against the fiat upper face 76 of the boss portion 74 of the plate 70 of the carrier slide 68.

During the last part of the split operating cycle of the machine the heel 20 which is attached to the shoe 24 is forced against the upper face of the top lift 22 causing cement to be distributed over said face and the top lift to be adhesively attached to the heel of the shoe. When the work has been removed from the machine the operator swings the loader block 60 clockwise (FIG. 1) from its position beneath the foot plate 56 causing the power assist mechanism above described to move the carrier slide 68 to its dash-line position. When this occurs the arm 212 resting against the upper face 76 of the boss portion 74 drops off the slide into its rest position in the notch 216 of the lug 218.

As above explained, when the carrier slide 68 has been moved to its dash-line position against the bumper ring 100 a measured amount of cement is delivered to the upper face of the top lift 22. Secured to the supporting arm 96 is a valve 280 having connected to it a high pressure air line 282 and a line 283 leading to a cylinder 284 which is secured to the cement pot 226 and in a bore 286 of which a piston 288 is reciprocable. The valve 280' has a plunger 290' operatively connected to a screw 291 carried by a lever 292 which is journaled on an extension of the arm 96 and carries a roll 294, the upper end of said roll being normally held above the plane of the flat lower face of the plate 70 of the carrier slide 68, the plunger 29.0 at this time being raised by the action of a spring 293 to prevent high pressure air from reaching the line 283 and accordingly a face 296 of the piston v288 which is normally held in a lowered position in the bore 286 of the cylinder by a spring298. The-piston 288 has secured to it a rod 300 which is arranged just below a lever 302 journaled at 304 on the cement pot 226, one end of said lever having a spring 306 attached to it and the opposite end of said lever being pivotally connected to a plunger 308 slidable in a bore 310* of a well 312 arranged in a cement containing chamber 314 of the cement pot. The well 312 has formed in it openings 31 6 connecting the bore 310 of the well with the cement containing chamber 314.

As the carrier slide 68 moves to its dash-line position the lower 'face of the plate 70 of said slide engages the roll 294 and depresses the plunger 290 of the valve 280 causing high pressure air tobe available for the face 296 of the piston 28% and causing the piston to be raised against the action of the spring 1298 with the result that the plunger 30-8 is moved from itsraised position shown in FIG. 6 .to a lowered position inengagement with the lower end of the bore 310, a measured amountof cement being forced through the orifice 224 onto the upper face of the top lift 22. When the carrier slide 68 moves away from the roll 294 on-its movement back to its position shown in FIG. 4, the valve 280 is closed thereby cutting 01f high pressure air from the face 296 of the piston 288 which returns to its lowered position under the action of the spring 298, the plunger 308 returning to its raised rest position and cement being admitted into the bore 310 of the well through the holes 316 preparatory to delivering a measured amount of cement to the next top lift to be operated upon.

It will be appreciated that the air valves 238, 264, and 289 are schematically shown .and that commercial valves having the desired characteristics may be used in place of the illustrated valves.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a heel attaching machine, a nailing die, a carrier slide which is adapted to support and position a heel part, a dispenser of adhesive, means for moving the slide between one position in which the heel part is arranged beneath the dispenser and another position in which the heel part is positioned over the nailing die preparatory to being attached to a shoe, and means responsive to the movement of the slide to said one position for operating the dispenser whereby to cause it to supply adhesive to the face of said heel part.

2. In a heel attaching machine, a nailing die, a reciprocable carrier slide comprising a unit for positioning and clamping a heel and a unit for positioning and clamping .a top lift, a dispenser containing cement, means for moving said carrier slide between one position in which it clears the nailing die and in which a top lift in the top lift unit thereof is arranged beneath the dispenser, and two other positions in which the heel and top lift in said units respectively are arranged successively over the nailing die, and power operated means responsive to movement of the slide to said one position for causing a measured amount of cement to be extrudedonto the upper face of the top lift.

3. In a heel attaching machine, a carrier slide having holder units for receiving two heel parts respectively, said units having centralizing gages which aremovable parallel to each other, are yieldingly urged forward and are adapted to be engaged respectively by the rear lateral portions of the heel parts, an abutment which is mounted on the carrier slide for movement in a path par-allelto the paths of movement of the centralizing gages and is yieldingly urged rearward and which has alined faces adapted to be engaged by the breasts of the heel parts and is adapted to cooperate with the centralizing gages to position the heel parts widthwise in their holderunits, said abutment being yieldingly urged rearward with a force somewhat greater than the combined forces urging the two centralizing gages forward, and a back gage seunit.

4. In a heel attaching machine, a nailing die having a fixed reference plane, a carrier slide comprising units for positioning and holding respectively two heel parts which are to be attached to a shoe, means for moving the carrier slide into positions in which the median planes of the respective units are successively moved into register with the fixed reference plane with the units arranged above and adjacent to the nailing die, said units having spring biased centralizing gages adapted to be engaged respectively by the rear lateral margins of the shoe parts presented to the units, said units having a common spring biased breast abutment which is adapted to engage the breasts of the heel parts presented to the units and to move said heel parts against the action of the spring biased centralizing gages whereby to position said heel breast widthwise in said units, and a back gage secured to the carrier slide and adapted to be engaged by the rear end of one of the heel parts to position this heel part lengthwise in its unit, said back gage operating through said one heel part being adapted to limit movement of the common abutment in accordance with the setting of the back gage whereby to position said other heel part lengthwise in its unit.

5. In a heel attaching machine, a nailing die having a fixed reference plane, a carrier slide movable in a rectilinear path disposed at right angles to said plane and having a pair of holder units adapted to position and to hold respectively on said carrier slide a heel and a top lift, means for successively moving the carrier slide in said rectilinear path between different operating positions in which the heel and the top lift respectively are arranged over the nailing die with heightwise median planes thereof coincident with the reference plane, each of said holder units having a centralizing gage movable at right angles to said rectilinear path, spring means for biasing the centralizing gages in one direction, a breast abutment comprising alined faces arranged respectively in opposed relation to the centralizing gages, means for biasing under a pressure, which is substantially greater than that imparted to the two centralizing gages in said one direction, the faces of said abutment toward the centralizing gages and in a direction opposite to said one direction, and a back gage which is secured to the carrier slide and is adapted to position lengthwise the top lift and the heel between the centralizing gages and the faces of the abutment.

6. In a heel attaching machine, a nailing die having a fixed median plane, a movable carrier slide having a pair of holder units adapted to position and hold respectively a heel and a top lift attached to the heel, means for moving the carrier slide into different operating positions in which the heel and the top lift are arranged successively over and adjacent to the nailing die with heightwise median planes thereof coincident with the median reference plane of the nailing die, a back gage, means for initially securing the back gage in a predetermined position to the carrier slide, springs, said holder units comprising independent centralizing gages adapted to be moved respectively in one general direction against the action of said springs by pressure of the rear lateral portions of the heel and the top lift against them, said holder units also comprising a common abutment having faces which are adapted to be engaged respectively by the breasts of the heel and the top lift, and a spring which is stronger than the combined aforesaid springs and is adapted to move the abutment in a general direction opposite to said one general direction and is adapted through the heel and the top lift to move the centralizing gages in said general opposite direction until the top lift engages the back gage whereby to locate i2 and to hold the top lift and the heel in predetermined positions on the carrier slide.

7. In a heel attaching machine, a nailing die having a fixed median plane, a movable carrier slide having a pair of holder units adapted to position and to hold respectively a heel and a top lift, means for moving the carrier slide into different operating positions in which the heel and the top lift are arranged successively over and adjacent to the nailing die with heightwise median planes thereof coincident with said median reference plane of said die, said holder units comprising independent centralizing gages adapted to be engaged respectively by the rear lateral margins of the heel and the top lift, an abutment having correlated faces arranged in opposed relation to the centralizing gages and adapted to be engaged respectively by the breasts of the heel and the top lift, a gage fixed to the carrier slide, and springs for urging respectively the centralizing gages and opposed faces of the abutment toward each other, the forces applied against the breast of the heel and the top lift by said faces being substantially greater than the force applied to the rear lateral margins of the heel and the toplift by said centralizing gages, said faces of the abutment acted upon by its spring being adapted to cooperate with the centralizing gages to position the top lift and the heel widthwise in the holder units and to move the heel and the top lift acted upon by the centralizing gages rearward until one of these work pieces engages the back gage whereby to position both the heel and the top lift lengthwise.

8. In a heel attaching machine, a nailing die having a fixed median reference plane, a movable carrier slide having a pair of holder units adapted to position and to hold respectively two work pieces constituting a heel and a top lift, means for successively moving the carrier slide into two different operating positions in which the heel and the top lift in said units respectively are arranged adjacent to and above the nailing die with heightwise median planes thereof coincident with said fixed median plane of said die, a single back gage mounted on the carrier slide, means for initially securing the back gage in a predetermined position to the slide, said holder units comprising respectively separate centralizing gages adapted to be engaged by the rear lateral margins of the top lift and the heel, a common breast abutment having correlated faces adapted to engage the breasts respectively of the top lift and the heel, and relatively light and heavy springs for urging respectively the centralizing gages on the one hand and the faces of the abutment on the other hand in opposite directions to clamp the top lift and the heel between the associated centralizing gages and faces of the abutment, whereby to centralize the heel and the top lift, and to move the heel and the top lift lengthwise in the holder units until the top lift engages the back gage and thus positions both of the top lift and the heel lengthwise in their respective holder units.

9. In a heel attaching machine, a nailing die having a fixed median reference plane, a carrier slide comprising units for positioning and holding respectively a heel which is to be attached to a shoe and a top lift which is to be attached to the heel of the shoe, means for moving the carrier slide at right angles to said reference plane to positions in which median planes respectively of the units are successively located in the fixed median reference plane of the nailing die with the heel and the top lift arranged above and adjacent to the nailing die, a pair of spring biased centralizing gages and a unitary spring biased breast abutment adapted to be forced respectively against the rear lateral margins and the breasts of the top lift and the heel in the holder units to position the top lift and the heel widthwise in said units, and a single fixed but initially adjustable back gage secured to the carrier slide, said spring biased gages and abutment being adapted to move and guide the top lift and the heel, which have been positioned widthwise in the carrier slide, in one direction on said slide until the top lift engages said back gage whereby to position both the top lift and the heel lengthwise on said slide.

10. In a heel attaching machine, a nailing die, a carrier slide comprising a unit adapted to position and to hold a top lift and a unit adapted to position and .to hold a heel, means for successively locating the carrier slide in positions in which the top lift and the heel in said units are arranged respectively over and adjacent to the nailing die, said units comprising centralizing gages respectively which are spring biased in one direction, a slidable abutment which has alined faces and is spring biased in a direction opposite to said one direction with a force greater than the spring biasing force applied to said centralizing gages, and a back gage which is initially set in a fixed position in the .top lift holder unit, said slidable abutment being moved by the forced engagement of the breasts of the top lift and the heel against the alined faces of the abutment to allow the top lift and heel to be placed in the units with their rear lateral portions engaging the centralizing gages and their breasts in engagement with the abutment which moves the top lift and heel and accordingly the centralizing gages on the carrier slide to different positions lengthwise of said top lift and heel in accordance with the setting of the back gage.

l l. -In a heel attaching machine, a carrier slide comprising a top lift receiving unit and a heel receiving unit, said units having centralizing gages which are movable parallel to each other, are yieldingly urged forward and are adapted to be engaged respectively by the rear lateral portions of a top lift and a heel, a slidable abutment which is mounted on the carrier slide for movement in a path parallel to the paths of travel of the centralizing gages and which is yieldingly urged rearward and has alined faces engaged by the breast faces of the top lift and the heel in engagement with said centralizing gages, said breast abutment being yieldingly urged rearward with a force somewhat greater than the forces with which the two centralizing gages are urged forward, and a back gage secured to the carrier slide and being adapted to be engaged by the rear end of the top lift and accordingly to position the top lift lengthwise in its holder units, said back gage operating through the top lift and the breast abutment being adapted to position the heel lengthwise in its associated holder unit.

12. In a heel attaching machine, a carrier slide com prising heel and top lift holder units having centrallizing gages respectively movable in rectilinear paths on said slide, means for biasing with relatively light pressure said centralizing gages in one direction in said paths, a breast abutment comprising faces which are in alinement and are arranged respectively in opposed relation to the centralizing gages, means for biasing under relatively heavy pressure the faces of the breast abutment toward the centralizing gages to cause a top lift and a heel arranged respectively between the centralizing gages and said faces in a direction opposite to said one direction whereby to position said top lift and heel widthwise in the holder units, and a back gage which is fixed to the carrier slide and is engaged by the top lift and is adapted to position both the top lift and the heel lengthwise in the carrier slide.

13. In a heel attaching machine, a nailing die having a fixed vertical reference plane, a carrier slide movable in a rectilinear path disposed at right angles to said plane and having a pair of holder units adapted to position and clamp respectively a heel and a top lift, means for successively moving the carrier slide in said path into operating positions in which the holder units respectively are arranged over the nailing die with median planes thereof coincident with said reference plane, centralizing gages slidingly mounted on the carrier slide at right angles to said path of movement of said slide and having converging faces adapted to be engaged respectively by the lateral margins of the rear faces of the heel and the top lift, a back gage and a stop secured to the carrier slide, relatively weak springs for independently moving in one direction on the carrier slide the centralizing gages until movement thereof is limited respectively by said back gage and said stop, said back gage being adapted to be engaged by the rear end of the top lift on the top lift holder unit, means for initially adjusting the back gage on the carrier slide, a relatively strong spring mounted on the carrier slide, and a breast abutment which is mounted on the carrier slide for movement toward and away from the centralizing gages of the holder units and has alined faces arranged parallel to the path of movement of the carrier slide and adapted to be engaged by the breasts of the top lift and the heel manually presented to the machine by the operator, said abutment being adapted to be displaced against the action of said strong spring to enable the top lift and the heel to be placed in their respective holder units with the lateral portions of their rear ends in opposed relation to and engaging the converging faces of the centralizing gages, said breast abutment, when released by the operator, operating through the heel and the top lift against the combined action of said weak springs, which are associated with the centralizing gages, to move the top lift and the heel lengthwise until the top lift is moved against the back gage whereby to cooperate with the centralizing gages in the positioning and clamping of the top lift and the heel widthwise in the holder units and to cooperate with the back gage in the positioning and clamping of the top lift and the heel lengthwise in said units.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,800,205 Benjamin Apr. 14, 1931 1,841,448 Lund Jan. 19, 1932 2,746,047 Cutler May 22, 1956 

4. IN A HEEL ATTACHING MACHINE, A NAILING DIE HAVING A FIXED REFERENCE PLANE, A CARRIER SLIDE COMPRISING UNITS FOR POSITIONING AND HOLDING RESPECTIVELY TWO HEEL PARTS WHICH ARE TO BE ATTACHED TO A SHOE, MEANS FOR MOVING THE CARRIER SLIDE INTO POSITIONS IN WHICH THE MEDIAN PLANES OF THE RESPECTIVE UNITS ARE SUCCESSIVELY MOVED INTO REGISTER WITH THE FIXED REFERENCE PLANE WITH THE UNITS ARRANGED ABOVE AND ADJACENT TO THE NAILING DIE, SAID UNITS HAVING SPRINGS BIASED CENTRALIZING GAGES ADAPTED TO BE ENGAGED RESPECTIVELY BY THE REAR LATERAL MARGINS OF THE SHOE PARTS PRESENTED TO THE UNITS, SAID UNITS HAVING A COMMON SPRING BIASED BREAST ABUTMENT WHICH IS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE BREASTS OF THE HEEL PARTS PRESENTED TO THE UNITS AND TO MOVE SAID HEEL PARTS AGAINST THE ACTION OF THE SPRING BIASED CENTRALIZING GAGES WHEREBY TO POSITION SAID HEEL BREAST WIDTHWISE IN SAID UNITS, AND A BACK GAGE SECURED TO THE CARRIER SLIDE AND ADAPTED TO BE ENGAGED BY THE REAR END OF ONE OF THE HEEL PARTS TO POSITION THIS HEEL PART LENGTHWISE IN ITS UNIT, SAID BACK GAGE OPERATING THROUGH SAID ONE HEEL PART BEING ADAPTED TO LIMIT MOVEMENT OF THE COMMON ABUTMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SETTING OF THE BACK GAGE WHEREBY TO POSITION SAID OTHER HEEL PART LENGTHWISE IN ITS UNIT. 